current
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Related to Currents: Ocean currents
current
belonging to the present time; steady movement of water; flow of electric charge
Not to be confused with:
currant – small dried seedless grape
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
cur·rent
(kûr′ənt, kŭr′-)adj.
1.
a. Belonging to the present time: current events; current leaders.
b. Being in progress now: current negotiations.
2. Passing from one to another; circulating: current bills and coins.
3. Prevalent, especially at the present time: current fashions. See Synonyms at prevailing.
4. Running; flowing.
n.
1. A steady, smooth onward flow or movement: a current of air from a fan; a current of spoken words. See Synonyms at flow.
2. The part of a body of liquid or gas that has a continuous onward movement: rowed out into the river's swift current.
3. A general tendency, movement, or course. See Synonyms at tendency.
4. Symbol IElectricity
a. A flow of electric charge.
b. The amount of electric charge flowing past a specified circuit point per unit time.
[Middle English curraunt, from Old French corant, present participle of courre, to run, from Latin currere; see kers- in Indo-European roots.]
cur′rent·ly adv.
cur′rent·ness n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
current
(ˈkʌrənt)adj
1. of the immediate present; in progress: current events.
2. most recent; up-to-date
3. commonly known, practised, or accepted; widespread: a current rumour.
4. circulating and valid at present: current coins.
n
5. (esp of water or air) a steady usually natural flow
6. (Physical Geography) a mass of air, body of water, etc, that has a steady flow in a particular direction
7. (Physical Geography) the rate of flow of such a mass
8. (General Physics) physics
a. a flow of electric charge through a conductor
b. the rate of flow of this charge. It is measured in amperes. Symbol: I
9. a general trend or drift: currents of opinion.
[C13: from Old French corant, literally: running, from corre to run, from Latin currere]
ˈcurrently adv
ˈcurrentness n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
cur•rent
(ˈkɜr ənt, ˈkʌr-)adj.
1. belonging to the time actually passing; present: the current month.
2. generally or commonly used or accepted; prevalent: current usage in English.
3. popular; in vogue.
4. most recent; new: the current issue of a magazine.
5. publicly or commonly reported or known: a rumor that is current.
6. in circulation, as a coin.
7. Archaic. running; flowing.
n. 8. a flowing; flow, as of a river.
9. something that flows, as a stream.
10. the most rapidly moving part of a stream.
11. a portion of a large body of water or mass of air moving in a certain direction.
12. the speed at which such flow moves; velocity of flow.
13. the movement or flow of electric charge, the rate of which is measured in amperes.
14. a general tendency or course.
[1250–1300; Middle English curraunt < Anglo-French < Latin current-, s. of currēns, present participle of currere to run]
cur′rent•ly, adv.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
cur·rent
(kûr′ənt)1. A flowing movement in a liquid or gas, especially one that follows a recognizable course: a current of cool air flowing through the room.
2. A flow of electric charge. See Note at charge.
3. The amount of electric charge that passes a point in a unit of time, usually expressed in amperes.
Did You Know? You listen to your portable CD player thanks to direct current, but you turn on the lights thanks to alternating current. Direct current, or DC, is electricity that flows at a constant voltage directly from a source, such as a battery with a stored electric charge. Batteries are great when you're on the move, but DC has a fundamental problem: electricity is easily lost to resistance and wasted as heat in the wires. Alternating current, or AC, on the other hand, is what flows from your walls. This is because it can be transmitted at very high voltage with little heat loss. Moreover, the voltage can efficiently be brought down to a low, safe level for home use. AC's name reflects the fact that the current alternates its direction of flow. On average, AC flow in the US switches direction 60 times each second and delivers about 115 volts from an ordinary outlet. Other countries set their own AC standards.
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
current
A body of water moving in a certain direction and caused by wind and density differences in water. The effects of a current are modified by water depth, underwater topography, basin shape, land masses, and deflection from the earth's rotation.
Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. US Department of Defense 2005.
currant
– currentThese words are both pronounced /'kʌrənt/.
1. 'currant'
Currant is a noun. A currant is a small dried grape.
...dried fruits such as currants, raisins and dried apricots.
2. 'current' used as a noun
Current can be a noun or an adjective.
A current is a steady and continuous flowing movement of some of the water in a river or lake, or in the sea.
The child had been swept out to sea by the current.
A current is also a steady flowing movement of air, or a flow of electricity through a wire or circuit.
I felt a current of cool air blowing in my face.
There was a powerful electric current running through the wires.
3. 'current' used as an adjective
Current is used to describe things which are happening or being used now, rather than at some time in the past or future.
Our current methods of production are far too expensive.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
current
The flow of electricity through a conductor.
Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  current - a flow of electricity through a conductor; "the current was measured in amperes"electrical phenomenon - a physical phenomenon involving electricity juice - electric current; "when the wiring was finished they turned on the juice" thermionic current - an electric current produced between two electrodes as a result of electrons emitted by thermionic emission |
| 2. | current - a steady flow of a fluid (usually from natural causes); "the raft floated downstream on the current"; "he felt a stream of air"; "the hose ejected a stream of water" tidal current, tidal flow - the water current caused by the tides rip current, riptide - a strong surface current flowing outwards from a shore undertide, undercurrent - a current below the surface of a fluid violent stream, torrent - a violently fast stream of water (or other liquid); "the houses were swept away in the torrent" eddy, twist - a miniature whirlpool or whirlwind resulting when the current of a fluid doubles back on itself maelstrom, whirlpool, vortex - a powerful circular current of water (usually the result of conflicting tides) ocean current - the steady flow of surface ocean water in a prevailing direction | |
| 3. | current - dominant course (suggestive of running water) of successive events or ideas; "two streams of development run through American history"; "stream of consciousness"; "the flow of thought"; "the current of history" | |
| Adj. | 1. | current - occurring in or belonging to the present time; "current events"; "the current topic"; "current negotiations"; "current psychoanalytic theories"; "the ship's current position" modern - belonging to the modern era; since the Middle Ages; "modern art"; "modern furniture"; "modern history"; "totem poles are modern rather than prehistoric" new - not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered; "a new law"; "new cars"; "a new comet"; "a new friend"; "a new year"; "the New World" noncurrent - not current or belonging to the present time |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
current
noun
1. flow, course, undertow, jet, stream, tide, progression, river, tideway The swimmers were swept away by the strong current.
3. mood, feeling, spirit, atmosphere, trend, tendency, drift, inclination, vibe (slang), undercurrent A strong current of nationalism is running through the country.
adjective
1. present, fashionable, ongoing, up-to-date, in, now (informal), happening (informal), contemporary, in the news, sexy (informal), trendy (Brit. informal), topical, present-day, in fashion, in vogue, up-to-the-minute, du jour (French), culty current trends in the music scene
present past, old-fashioned, obsolete, out-of-date, archaic, outmoded, passé
present past, old-fashioned, obsolete, out-of-date, archaic, outmoded, passé
2. prevalent, general, common, accepted, popular, widespread, in the air, prevailing, circulating, going around, customary, rife, in circulation the prevailing tide of current opinion
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
current
adjective1. Characteristic of recent times or informed of what is current:
2. In existence now:
3. Most generally existing or encountered at a given time:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
proudsoučasnýaktuálnínynější
strømaktuelelektrisk strømindeværendenuværende
fluo
hoovus
tämänhetkinensähkövirtasuuntausvirtavirtaus
strujatijektrenutni
áramáramlatvillamosáram
arus
straumuryfirstandandi; núgildandi; nÿjastur
流れ現在の電流
전류현재의흐름
dabardabar esantisdabartiniseinamasiseinamoji sąskaita
pašreizējsstraumestrāva
toktrenutentekoč
strömaktuellnuvarande
กระแสไฟกระแสน้ำ
dònghiện hànhluồng
current
[ˈkʌrənt]A. ADJ [fashion, tendency] → actual; [price, word] → corriente; [year, month, week] → presente, en curso
the current month/year → el presente mes/año, el mes/año en curso
the current issue of the magazine → el último número de la revista
her current boyfriend → su novio de ahora
to be in current use → estar en uso corriente
a word in current use → una palabra de uso corriente
the current opinion is that → actualmente se cree que ...
this idea/method is still quite current → esta idea/este método se usa bastante todavía
the current month/year → el presente mes/año, el mes/año en curso
the current issue of the magazine → el último número de la revista
her current boyfriend → su novio de ahora
to be in current use → estar en uso corriente
a word in current use → una palabra de uso corriente
the current opinion is that → actualmente se cree que ...
this idea/method is still quite current → esta idea/este método se usa bastante todavía
B. N (all senses) → corriente f
direct/alternating current → corriente f directa/alterna
to go against the current → ir contra la corriente
to go with the current → dejarse llevar por la corriente
direct/alternating current → corriente f directa/alterna
to go against the current → ir contra la corriente
to go with the current → dejarse llevar por la corriente
C. CPD current account N (Brit) → cuenta f corriente
current affairs NPL → temas mpl de actualidad
current assets NPL → activo msing corriente
current events N = current affairs current liabilities NPL → pasivo msing corriente
current affairs NPL → temas mpl de actualidad
current assets NPL → activo msing corriente
current events N = current affairs current liabilities NPL → pasivo msing corriente
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
current
[ˈkʌrənt] adj [tendency, event, situation, crisis] → actuel(le); [climate, system] → actuel(le); [year] → en cours
the current situation → la situation actuelle
the current issue of a magazine → le dernier numéro d'un magazine
in current use → d'usage courantcurrent account n (British) → compte m courantcurrent affairs [ˌkʌrəntəˈfɛərz]
the current situation → la situation actuelle
the current issue of a magazine → le dernier numéro d'un magazine
in current use → d'usage courantcurrent account n (British) → compte m courantcurrent affairs [ˌkʌrəntəˈfɛərz]
npl → l'actualité f
modif
current affairs programme → émission f d'actualitéscurrent assets [ˌkʌrəntˈæsɛts] npl (COMMERCE) → actif m disponiblecurrent liabilities [ˌkʌrəntlaɪəˈbɪlɪtɪz] npl (COMMERCE) → passif m exigible à court terme
current affairs programme → émission f d'actualitéscurrent assets [ˌkʌrəntˈæsɛts] npl (COMMERCE) → actif m disponiblecurrent liabilities [ˌkʌrəntlaɪəˈbɪlɪtɪz] npl (COMMERCE) → passif m exigible à court terme
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
current
adj (= present) → augenblicklich, gegenwärtig; policy, price → aktuell; research, month, week → laufend; edition → letzte(r, s); (= prevalent) opinion → verbreitet; spelling, word → gebräuchlich; to be no longer current → nicht mehr aktuell sein; (coins) → nicht mehr in Umlauf sein; a current rumour → ein Gerücht, das zurzeit in Umlauf ist; current affairs → Tagespolitik f, → aktuelle Fragen pl, → Aktuelle(s) nt; in current use → allgemein gebräuchlich
n
(of water) → Strömung f, → Strom m; (of air) → Luftströmung f, → Luftstrom m; with/against the current → mit dem/gegen den Strom; air/ocean current → Luft-/Meeresströmung f → or -strom m
(Elec) → Strom m
(fig: of events, opinions etc) → Tendenz f, → Trend m; to go against the current of popular opinion → gegen den Strom or die Strömung der öffentlichen Meinung anschwimmen; to go with the current of popular opinion → mit dem Strom or der Strömung der öffentlichen Meinung schwimmen; if you try to go against the current of events → wenn Sie versuchen, gegen den Strom der Ereignisse anzuschwimmen; the current of public feeling is now in favour of/against … → die öffentliche Meinung tendiert zur Befürwortung/Ablehnung von …; a politician who ignores the current of popular opinion → ein Politiker, der die Tendenz(en) der öffentlichen Meinung or den Trend (in) der öffentlichen Meinung unbeachtet lässt
current
:current account
n → Girokonto nt
current assets
pl → Umlaufvermögen nt
current collector
n (Rail etc) → Stromabnehmer m
current liabilities
pl → kurzfristige Verbindlichkeiten pl
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
current
[ˈkʌr/ənt]1. adj (fashion, opinion, year) → corrente; (tendency, price, event) → attuale; (phrase) → di uso corrente
in current use → in uso corrente, d'uso comune
the current issue of a magazine → l'ultimo numero di una rivista
her current boyfriend → il suo attuale ragazzo
in current use → in uso corrente, d'uso comune
the current issue of a magazine → l'ultimo numero di una rivista
her current boyfriend → il suo attuale ragazzo
2. n (of air, water) (Elec) (fig) → corrente f
direct/alternating current (Elec) → corrente continua/alternata
to go against the current (fig) → andare controcorrente
direct/alternating current (Elec) → corrente continua/alternata
to go against the current (fig) → andare controcorrente
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
current
(ˈkarənt) , ((American) ˈkə:-) adjective of or belonging to the present. current affairs; the current month; the current temperature.
noun1. (the direction of) a stream of water or air. the current of a river.
2. (a) flow of electricity. an electrical current.
ˈcurrently adverb at the present time. John is currently working as a bus-driver.
current account an account with a bank from which money may be withdrawn by cheque.
electric current (not currant); current (not currant) affairs.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
current
→ تِيَّار, حَالِيّ aktuální, proud nuværende, strøm aktuell, Strom, Strömung ηλεκτρικό ρεύμα, ρεύμα, τρέχων actual, corriente sähkövirta, tämänhetkinen, virtaus actuel, courant struja, tijek, trenutni attuale, corrente 流れ, 現在の, 電流 전류, 현재의, 흐름 actueel, stroom gjeldende, strøm aktualny, nurt, prąd atual, corrente поток, текущий, электрический ток aktuell, ström กระแสไฟ, กระแสน้ำ, ปัจจุบัน, เป็นปัจจุบัน, ที่ใช้กันในปัจจุบัน akım, akış, güncel dòng, hiện hành, luồng 当前的, 气流或水流, 电流Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
cur·rent
n. corriente, trasmisión de fluido o electricidad que pasa por un conductor;
adv. actualmente.
a. corriente, actual.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
current
adj actual; his current condition..su condición actual; n corriente fEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.